What Is a Pharmacy?

What Is a Pharmacy?

A pharmacy is commonly known as a retail store that dispenses FDA approved prescription medications as well as over the counter remedies that do not require a physician’s prescription. There are many types of pharmacies across the country including community (retail) pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, clinical pharmacies, ambulatory care pharmacies, and regulator pharmacies.

Most people are familiar with their local community retail pharmacy. Along with selling prescription drugs, these retail pharmacies also sell a large variety of over-the-counter remedies like cough medication, pain relievers, make-up, grooming and hygiene supplies, greeting cards, as well as many seasonal items like Halloween and holiday candy.

What is a Pharmacy?

These pharmacies employ licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to fill prescriptions and promote the safe and effective use of medications.

Pharmacists provide advice on over-the-counter remedies and are an important resource for consultation on medication side effects and conditions. Pharmacists however cannot write prescriptions or dispense FDA approved medications without a prescription.

Specialty pharmacies fill prescriptions to treat patients with complex, serious, and rare diseases that require a greater amount of care and management. Some of these diseases include cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Cystic Fibrosis, HIV/AIDS, and other disorders. Many of the medications these patients need are provided as injectable drugs which may require a greater degree of patient care and monitoring. According to the Drug Channels Institute, specialty pharmacy drugs will represent 44% of the U.S. drug spend by 2020.

If you have special medication needs that a community pharmacy cannot handle, you may be directed to a compounding pharmacy. Compounding pharmacies prepare medication in new forms that might not be available otherwise. This may include combining different medications into powders or solutions for better administration for certain patients.

About Easy Drug Card

Easy Drug Card's free prescription discount card helps make prescriptions affordable for everyone who is uninsured or under-insured. Use the free prescription savings card at over 65,000 pharmacies. Operates like a coupon! Ready to use!

Easy Drug Card is a discount card and is not insurance. It is not intended to replace insurance.

The information and content posted on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as a replacement for medical advice. Always seek medical advice from a medical professional for diagnosis or treatment, including before embarking on and/or changing any prescription medication or for specific medical advice related to your medical history. KLIX, LLC, doing business as Easy Drug Card, does not recommend or advocate any prescription medication, specific pharmacy or other information that is shared on this website. Easy Drug Card provides no warranty for any of the drug pricing data or any other information.The information on our website is copyrighted and may not be used without our permission.

The prescription savings are calculated on the pharmacy usual and customary rates. Easy Drug Card is considered a marketer of prescription drug discount cards in all states, except for Tennessee. Easy Drug Card is registered as a Prescription Drug Discount Plan Operator in Tennessee.